Please welcome Allison, the newest member of Team Trixie, who is helping us research purity issues in the Christian world. One of the first things she came across was this handy page.

As I was perusing the internet today, I came upon a Facebook page where users can make purity pledges online. The page, sponsored by the online Christian store C28 Christian Clothing, explains: “the Purity Pledge is a way to publicly pledge that you’re waiting for God’s perfect someone.”

One pledger, Scott, posts: “The most valuable gift you can give your spouse is your virginity!”

Another, Joey, goes so far as to say: "ill even pledge that ill save my next kiss for my wedding day ;)." (That post got a 'Like' from someone named Amy). I clicked on Joey's Facebook page, and we actually have a friend in common (with whom I went to high school).

The vast majority of the near 3,000 commenters seem to be teenagers. The Christian focus on marriage as the ultimate goal in a young person’s life is a problematic, complicated, and guilt-ridden path to direct young people down.

With the only legitimate place for sexuality being the marriage bed, many young people get married when they are very young and arguably unready for a lifelong commitment. You can read from a lot of their posts they are already concerned about finding someone in the first place.

Dana: "I pledge to guard my heart, and be faithful and be pure. I pledge to wait for sex until I am married with the one that God has chosen for me!"

Emily: "I pledge to remain pure until marriage...and I also pledge to remain pure in mind and spirit for my whole life...a promise from me to the Lord, and my future husband."

Kournikova: “It’s that time of the month today! so i wish to take this opportunity to pledge to God and my future partner, using my blood as my purification from my past, to stay sexually pure until the day I say “I DO” in God’s presence, so help me God.”

If they don't "find the One," they are then faced with the frustration and disappointment of being unmarried, older, and not sexually active.

Some posters, on the other hand, have retained a sense of humor, or maybe they're just dissenters:

Laura: "does masturbation count? i'm just sayin. no one else will ask"

Jon: “I pledge to smoke as much weed, have as much sex, and party as much as i can, jus cus i can and i'm only 15 :D”

And while you're making your pledge, C28 has purity rings available to order for only $26.95.